Woodbine Mohawk Park: Loua Dipa overpowers foes in She's A Great Lady

Loua Dipa and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. stole the show, pacing to a stakes, track and Canadian record 1:49 1/5 mile in capturing Saturday's Grade 1 C$470,000 She's A Great Lady at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The homebred daughter of Sweet Lou drove past pace-setter Daya to score by open lengths.

Daya and Perfect Thought were the fastest two of the rookie pacing fillies leaving out of the gate, with Jody Jamieson putting Daya in front before yielding to Perfect Thought past a snappy 25 3/5 first quarter. Jamieson regained command with Daya in short order, and Scott Zeron couldn't keep Perfect Thought on stride as the filly broke and left the course.

Daya held control in a 54 3/5 half with Wrenn Jr. sitting fourth on the pylons and waiting to move. Once Loua Dipa got the call on the final turn, she quickly engaged and engulfed leader Daya past the 1:22 2/5 three-quarters. In the stretch it was a one-filly voyage as Wrenn Jr. left the earplugs in, and Loua Dipa sprinted a final quarter in 26 4/5 under wraps. Daya held her ground impressively through the stretch to be well-clear for second, with Fabulous Hanover holding on for the show spot ahead of Twin B Fierce.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

"She's two fingers to drive," said Wrenn Jr. describing the winner. "Tonight, she was awesome."

Loua Dipa is trained by the sport's leading conditioner Ron Burke and was bred and is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. The first-year filly was a winner for the sixth time in nine career starts, lowering her previous career-best taken in the She's A Great Lady eliminations by two-fifths of a second. Sent off as the odds-on favorite, Loua Dipa returned $3.50 to win.